Dear Dan M. and Dan S.,
I waited to post this blog until after the endorphins had worn off. Otherwise, it would have been nothing but a gush-fest of how much I love life, and my new knee, and physical fitness, and both of you.
So here's my milestone report, a couple days late:
When I started PT, both before and after my knee replacement surgery, I'd set several goals --one of which was to be able to use upright exercise apparatus, such as the treadmill and the elliptical.
Well...I used the elliptical on Sunday, and the treadmill on Tuesday.
I still love swimming and warm-water workouts. In the gym, I still prefer the recumbent bike -- preferably with an HGTV show coming through my shocking-pink earbuds.
But after I made it through a week of the Columbia County Fair (yes, I went every day) without the crippling, enduring pain I experienced last year, it became clear that it was time to try the elliptical and the treadmill.
Both are way more strenuous than either the bike or lap-swimming. I did 20 minutes on the elliptical, 30 minutes on the treadmill -- and even though the heart rate monitors on exercise machines are notoriously inaccurate, I was alarmed at the high heart rates the monitors indicated. So for now, I'm keeping it easy. The pace is no more than 3 mph, the incline no more than 1, and I don't stay on upright apparatus longer than 30 minutes.
But I can use those pieces of equipment. I can walk. I can, and do, use the stairs.
You're right, Dan S. I am moving well.
And Dan M., I told you how, after my surgery, I wanted to work my way back to being a "gym rat." I'm there, or well on my way. My membership in a franchise gym in Portage has proven to be a sound investment. Not only do I have access to a workout in the community where I work (my workouts are off the clock, always); I also have access to gyms of the same name anywhere in the world, including one a stone's throw from my house in Madison. I actually like the Portage gym better, but it's nice to have options when and where I have the time for a one-hour workout and about 30 minutes for changing clothes and shoes, showering and weighing.
Speaking of weighing: Guys, I'm in the zone where I want to be. Even late in the day, after I've eaten several times, I'm within five pounds plus-or-minus (mostly minus) my goal weight. I don't want to lose any more weight, but I don't want to gain either, so I'm maintaining my eating habits -- a breakfast every morning before I work out or go to work, light lunch, light dinner and a small healthy snack every couple hours.
I know that, when I express appreciation for the role the two of you played in my transformation, you brush me off with, "Hey, you're the one that did all the work." True that.
But let this be a lesson to all health care providers: A little respect for your patients, and humane and non-shaming treatment of them, can help bring about miracles. It doesn't hurt, too, for the practitioner to be a human being -- to share a little of your own story and perspectives.
I don't respond well to coaches like Jillian on "The Biggest Loser." When people yell at me, criticize, or make me feel like I'm never doing enough or doing it right, my goal becomes to avoid them, and avoid being hassled. If I'm treated with respect, and as an adult, I will do anything, because the person who treats me that way is a true leader and mentor. That's you, Dans.
See you soon at the pool or thereabouts.
I waited to post this blog until after the endorphins had worn off. Otherwise, it would have been nothing but a gush-fest of how much I love life, and my new knee, and physical fitness, and both of you.
So here's my milestone report, a couple days late:
When I started PT, both before and after my knee replacement surgery, I'd set several goals --one of which was to be able to use upright exercise apparatus, such as the treadmill and the elliptical.
Well...I used the elliptical on Sunday, and the treadmill on Tuesday.
I still love swimming and warm-water workouts. In the gym, I still prefer the recumbent bike -- preferably with an HGTV show coming through my shocking-pink earbuds.
But after I made it through a week of the Columbia County Fair (yes, I went every day) without the crippling, enduring pain I experienced last year, it became clear that it was time to try the elliptical and the treadmill.
Both are way more strenuous than either the bike or lap-swimming. I did 20 minutes on the elliptical, 30 minutes on the treadmill -- and even though the heart rate monitors on exercise machines are notoriously inaccurate, I was alarmed at the high heart rates the monitors indicated. So for now, I'm keeping it easy. The pace is no more than 3 mph, the incline no more than 1, and I don't stay on upright apparatus longer than 30 minutes.
But I can use those pieces of equipment. I can walk. I can, and do, use the stairs.
You're right, Dan S. I am moving well.
And Dan M., I told you how, after my surgery, I wanted to work my way back to being a "gym rat." I'm there, or well on my way. My membership in a franchise gym in Portage has proven to be a sound investment. Not only do I have access to a workout in the community where I work (my workouts are off the clock, always); I also have access to gyms of the same name anywhere in the world, including one a stone's throw from my house in Madison. I actually like the Portage gym better, but it's nice to have options when and where I have the time for a one-hour workout and about 30 minutes for changing clothes and shoes, showering and weighing.
Speaking of weighing: Guys, I'm in the zone where I want to be. Even late in the day, after I've eaten several times, I'm within five pounds plus-or-minus (mostly minus) my goal weight. I don't want to lose any more weight, but I don't want to gain either, so I'm maintaining my eating habits -- a breakfast every morning before I work out or go to work, light lunch, light dinner and a small healthy snack every couple hours.
I know that, when I express appreciation for the role the two of you played in my transformation, you brush me off with, "Hey, you're the one that did all the work." True that.
But let this be a lesson to all health care providers: A little respect for your patients, and humane and non-shaming treatment of them, can help bring about miracles. It doesn't hurt, too, for the practitioner to be a human being -- to share a little of your own story and perspectives.
I don't respond well to coaches like Jillian on "The Biggest Loser." When people yell at me, criticize, or make me feel like I'm never doing enough or doing it right, my goal becomes to avoid them, and avoid being hassled. If I'm treated with respect, and as an adult, I will do anything, because the person who treats me that way is a true leader and mentor. That's you, Dans.
See you soon at the pool or thereabouts.
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